Harding University has appointed Amy Cox as chair of its department of art and design and Dr. Jay Walls as chair of the department of music effective Aug. 1, 2020.

Amy Cox came to Harding in 2001 in the early years of her successful career as an interior designer. Since then, she has completed an MBA and a terminal degree in collaborative design from John Brown University and was recently promoted to associate professor. Cox holds a certification from the National Council for Interior Design Qualification and is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers and the Interior Design Educators Council. She has held various regional leadership positions for ASID and is serving as campus sponsor for this professional organization.

Cox has served as the director of the interior design program and on various university committees. Her community work includes various projects in Searcy and throughout the state, service on regional boards, and convention presentations for interior design colleagues at IDEC conferences.

Dr. Jay Walls came to Harding in 2000 when he became the assistant director at Harding University in Florence. After two years serving at HUF, Walls returned to Searcy as an assistant professor of music. In 2004 he was employed as a teaching fellow in music and Italian at the University of North Texas and later hired by the UNT Graduate School as coordinator of interdisciplinary studies and graduate recruitment. In 2014 Walls returned to Harding and is now an associate professor of music and director of the Arts and Life performance series.

In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Walls is a music composer with several works in circulation. His most recent works include The Clothes of Heaven, performed by the University Chorus, and Intempestus, premiered by Dr. Andrew Cook and Dr. Wesley Parker at the North American Saxophone Alliance convention in 2018. This summer he is completing a new work for the Searcy High School Orchestra.

For more information about the department of art and design visit harding.edu/art. For more information about the department of music visit harding.edu/music.